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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — a hole
  6. present — the time now
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — in a road
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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