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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cell — a phone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bass — low music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a hat

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