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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — a permit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cold — an illness

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