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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — the fish
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — to tease
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kid — child
  17. rule — government
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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