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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wind — moving air
  4. roll — a list
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — the season
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — of water
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — to be able to

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