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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — a series
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — there
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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