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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cold — not warm
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cold — an illness
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. march — the month

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