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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kid — child
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. kid — to tease
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pit — a hole
  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