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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 124 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — to rob
  10. march — the month
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — to recline
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mug — a face
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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