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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. straw — dry grass

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