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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cold — an illness
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chip — to eat

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