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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.

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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: dip · last · pitch · rule · suit · ground · bass · kid

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bass — the fish
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — a law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — low music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. last — finally
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. last — final
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — a position
  24. last — to go on

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