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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 116 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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pound — a weight
  6. last — to go on
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. cue — for pool
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spring — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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