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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — to breed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — a match
  14. season — in sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — the season
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — of the year

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