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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — after costs
  24. chair — a leader

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