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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fine — all right
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. face — to confront
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. face — to point toward
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. file — a document
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ball — a dance

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