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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — there
  8. last — to go on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — low music
  12. last — finally
  13. bass — the fish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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