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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. staff — employees
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mate — a friend
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — rain
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — to recline
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitch — completely

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