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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — in cards
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — to fit
  11. land — a country
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a match
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — clothes
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — ground
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — music
  24. bat — the animal

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