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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spring — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com