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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 120 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: foot · ground · rash · row · hand · pitch · mouse · stick

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — crushed
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — in cards
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a line
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ground — the earth
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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