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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. face — part of the head
  5. club — a group
  6. face — to confront
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kid — child
  16. club — for golf
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. face — to point toward

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