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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — in control
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pop — soda
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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