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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. march — music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — the time now
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. toast — bread
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitch — a sports field

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