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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. cold — an illness
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. firm — steady
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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