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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — to shout
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitch — completely
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — there
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — a permit
  13. present — the time now
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spring — of water
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. season — in sport
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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