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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. land — ground
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. bat — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. land — a country
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. scale — in music
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. scale — size or range

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