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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — for a lock
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. file — a document
  11. pitch — completely
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a song
  15. rest — a break
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ball — a great time

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