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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — completely
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — rain
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — government
  20. face — to confront
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — a law
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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