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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tube — a container
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. kick — in football
  7. hand — help
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. last — finally
  12. hand — in cards
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. last — final
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. key — in music
  23. last — to go on
  24. key — the most important part

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