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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bat — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — with an edge

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