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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. net — in sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to confront
  6. rash — a series
  7. net — for catching
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — part of the head
  20. swing — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. face — to point toward

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