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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitch — completely
  11. charge — a price
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. band — a ring
  16. charge — in control
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. band — a music group
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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