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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mate — a partner
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — a price
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. charge — electricity
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — completely

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