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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. firm — a company
  7. toast — bread
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. file — a tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. suit — clothes
  13. file — a document
  14. suit — to fit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — army training
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitch — completely
  19. drill — a practice
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. file — a line of people
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — in cards

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