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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 124 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — a match
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to sink

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