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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — a gift
  4. pop — to visit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. present — there
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — music
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — a contest
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — completely
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. season — in sport

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