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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. board — a committee
  7. cap — of ice
  8. foot — a measure
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — in music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. mine — for digging
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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