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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. scale — size or range
  3. swing — to play on
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. present — the time now
  9. pit — in a race
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. swing — music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. present — a gift
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — there
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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