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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pass — a permit
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pass — to spend time

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