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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. race — humankind
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — in music
  15. race — a contest
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wave — with your hand

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