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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — government
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bass — low music
  13. rule — a law
  14. spring — a coil
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. mouse — 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