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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tube — a container
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — government

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