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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. season — of the year
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. shower — rain
  17. snap — to click
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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