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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. last — to go on
  5. rule — government
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — obliged
  11. last — finally
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bound — certain
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. last — final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — tied together

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