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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitch — completely
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — a grade
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. board — a committee
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. net — for catching
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mark — to pay attention

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