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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — soda
  5. land — a country
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. roll — a list
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mug — a face
  21. pop — music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mug — a cup

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