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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · fine · rule · roll · mate · rush · ball

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. 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. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — all right
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rule — a law
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. roll — a list
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. roll — a cake
  24. 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