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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: pitch · kick · ball · dip · perch · pitcher · rule · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — a law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to dunk

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