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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — for digging
  4. march — the month
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. march — the month
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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