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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mate — to breed
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cue — a signal
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kid — child
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — in music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. season — of the year

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