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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. board — to get on
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hand — help
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. trunk — of a car

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