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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — ground
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — an aim
  19. land — a country
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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