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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — in a race
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. club — for dancing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. club — for golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — to recline
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — a hole

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