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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spell — magic
  4. object — a thing
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spell — letters
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. object — an aim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — to protest
  24. spell — a short time

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