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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mate — to breed
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. race — the arms race
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lie — to recline

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