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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — in music
  11. row — a line
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — an injury
  24. row — to paddle

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