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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spell — letters
  13. march — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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