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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. present — the time now
  3. file — a document
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a line of people
  15. face — part of the head
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. present — there
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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