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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

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