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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kid — child
  5. key — in music
  6. object — to protest
  7. row — a line
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — to tease
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. deal — to handle

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