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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chair — a leader
  7. spell — magic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to bend
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spell — letters
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. drill — army training
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — a professorship

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