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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. roll — a list
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — thin
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — a permit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — an illness
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitch — a sports field

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