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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — there
  11. land — to come down
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a ring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — ground
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. scale — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — a country
  24. tear — to rip

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