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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 116 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: lie · land · march · rash · mouse · racket · chip · pitch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lie — to recline
  7. march — music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. land — ground
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — to eat

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