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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — child
  7. net — in sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. key — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — in music
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. scale — size or range

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