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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spell — magic
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — letters
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — a hole
  19. hand — in cards
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — help

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