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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rule — government
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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