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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. file — a document
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rock — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — a series
  24. file — a line of people

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