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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. face — part of the head
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to confront
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. dip — to dunk

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