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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: pitch · deal · rush · squash · face · roll · bay · snap

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — to crush
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to click
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — part of the head
  23. deal — to handle
  24. squash — the vegetable

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