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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cue — for pool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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