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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. firm — decided
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — steady
  24. fine — all right

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