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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cell — in biology
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cell — a phone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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