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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · dip · pitch · staff · kid · pitcher · toast · lie

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. kid — child
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — completely
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. staff — employees

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