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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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 — completely
  2. fork — in a road
  3. game — a match
  4. firm — a company
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. firm — decided
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — a series
  20. net — after costs
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. deal — an agreement
  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