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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rule — government
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — not warm
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fine — all right
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fine — a penalty

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