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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. firm — a company
  4. cell — a phone
  5. race — humankind
  6. game — a match
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — a trail
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — wild animals
  15. race — the arms race
  16. scale — in music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cell — in biology
  22. race — a contest
  23. game — a kind of play
  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