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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — wild animals
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. march — music
  14. game — a match
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — a company
  24. board — a committee

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