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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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 — completely
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. land — ground
  10. rule — government
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. land — to come down
  13. shower — to wash
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. shower — rain
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. land — a country
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cue — a hint
  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