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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pop — music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. net — for catching
  9. toast — bread
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — for pool
  14. staff — employees
  15. chest — a box
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. net — in sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. date — the fruit

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