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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fall — the season
  7. last — finally
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — final
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. key — in music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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