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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — a container
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. face — to point toward
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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