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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: fork · racket · rash · foot · rule · deal · mark · pitch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. foot — a measure
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — government
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — to handle
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rule — a law

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