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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — a match
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitch — completely

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