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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — a safe
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cue — a signal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mine — for digging
  24. dip — to dunk

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