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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — to trim
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cap — a lid
  23. scale — size or range
  24. prune — to trim

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