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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hand — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — a law
  12. present — a gift
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rule — government
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a dance
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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