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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitch — completely
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ground — the earth
  19. game — a match
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — a hint

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