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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. field — a subject
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. present — a gift
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. present — there
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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