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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · cell · rash · deal · mark · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rule — government

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