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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pit — in a race

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