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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — soda
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. club — for golf
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — in football
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. club — for dancing

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