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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mug — to rob
  3. present — there
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — a gift
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lean — thin
  13. game — a match
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — the time now
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mug — a cup
  20. vault — a safe
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — a permit
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mug — a face

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