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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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. scale — size or range
  4. date — the fruit
  5. last — to go on
  6. scale — in music
  7. last — finally
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — a match
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — final
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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