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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. dip — to dunk

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