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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pop — soda
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. pop — to visit
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

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