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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — a company
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. land — ground
  13. hand — help
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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