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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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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: field · rule · lie · deal · swing · fan · pitch · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. field — a subject
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. field — for sport
  6. swing — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — to recline
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — a supporter
  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