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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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 — completely
  2. key — for a lock
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — electric
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — of water
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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