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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. march — music
  5. pitch — completely
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. face — part of the head
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rule — a law
  11. face — to confront
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rule — government
  14. squash — to crush
  15. swing — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — the vegetable

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