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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pop — to visit
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — rain
  10. pop — soda
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. kick — in football
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitch — a sports field

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