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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mate — a friend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mate — a partner
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — decided
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — moving air
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. firm — a company

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