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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. object — to protest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — the time now
  10. rest — a break
  11. object — a thing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. present — a gift
  21. object — an aim
  22. rest — what's left
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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