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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — to confront
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. scale — in music

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