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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — a contest
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. race — humankind
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — the arms race

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