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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stand — to bear
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pop — soda
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — to rip

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