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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. last — finally
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — all right
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. court — for sport
  15. fine — high quality
  16. last — final
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — to eat
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. chest — a box
  22. last — to go on
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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