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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. spring — of water
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — the season
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cue — a hint

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