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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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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: mate · pitch · trunk · firm · deal · pass · tear · rule

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — decided
  8. mate — a friend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. firm — a company
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — government
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. firm — steady
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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