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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. march — the month
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. march — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. march — the month
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — a stone

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