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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: pitch · deal · row · kick · pit · bass · chest · rule

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — low music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pit — a hole
  15. row — a line
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kick — in football
  21. chest — a box
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bass — the fish

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