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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chip — for betting
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hand — in cards
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. face — to confront

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