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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. object — a thing
  5. chest — a box
  6. firm — decided
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — to protest
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — steady
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. drill — a practice
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to dunk

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