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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rule — a law
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — after costs
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — for catching
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — government
  17. net — in sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bass — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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