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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. season — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fork — to eat with

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