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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — government
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. deal — to handle
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — completely
  13. dip — to sink
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. court — of a king
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rule — a law

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