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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a music group
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — a gift

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