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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: rule · swing · sharp · pitch · fall · track · hide · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. swing — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. swing — to play on
  24. sharp — with an edge

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