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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bat — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — a law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — government
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ground — a position
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — in an idiom

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