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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rule — government
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — the time now
  13. rule — a law
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — completely
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spell — magic
  18. deal — to handle
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — rain
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a bank

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