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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. file — a tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a document
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — moving air
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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