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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. firm — steady
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — a country
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mark — a trace
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bat — the animal

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