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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — government
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kid — child
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kid — to tease

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