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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. net — for catching
  6. cold — an illness
  7. net — in sport
  8. last — to go on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. capital — money
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. last — finally
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — final
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitch — completely
  24. net — after costs

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