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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — a thing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rest — a break
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — of water
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — to protest
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spring — the season
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — a series

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