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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rash — hasty
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. game — a kind of play

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