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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: deal · net · chest · rule · stick · pitch

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — after costs
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chest — a box
  9. rule — a law
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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