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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — for sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. field — farmland
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. key — in music
  18. field — a subject
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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