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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell 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. pitch — a sports field
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  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