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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — music
  10. rule — government
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pop — to visit

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