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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitch — completely
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — of the year
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. season — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. deal — a big deal

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