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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. firm — steady
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — to play on
  10. net — in sport
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — a company
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — decided
  24. nail — on a finger

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