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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. game — a match
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — a grade
  19. dip — to sink
  20. firm — steady
  21. mark — a trace
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — a sauce

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