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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitch — a sports field

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