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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. land — ground
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — to be able to
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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