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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — electric
  17. cell — a phone
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — a trainer

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