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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 124 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — a match
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — government
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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