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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. firm — a company
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fork — in a road
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. firm — decided
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. club — for golf
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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