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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a great time
  3. key — the most important part
  4. last — finally
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — for a lock
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. land — ground
  14. last — to go on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. key — in music
  19. last — final
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ball — a dance
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — a country

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