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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitch — completely
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kick — in football
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitch — a sports field

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