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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — thin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pop — soda

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