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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. capital — money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. net — in sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. sharp — clever

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