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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — the time now
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. present — there
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. present — a gift
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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