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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — a permit
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mug — a face
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitch — completely

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