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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — for betting
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — completely
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — music
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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