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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — moving air
  23. last — to go on
  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