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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — a line
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — all right
  13. rule — a law
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — government
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. court — of law
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the sport

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