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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. present — there
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pop — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of a king
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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