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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. file — a tool
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — bread
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. land — ground
  21. file — a document
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — a list

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