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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — government
  19. present — a gift
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — for baseball

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