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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — a break
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chest — a box
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chest — of your body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitch — completely

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