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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. firm — steady
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. firm — a company
  15. cell — a phone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — for pool

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