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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chest — of your body
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. object — to protest
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rock — a stone
  15. object — a thing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — an aim
  21. mate — a friend
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chest — a box
  24. straw — dry grass

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