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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. object — a thing
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pit — a hole
  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