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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mark — a grade
  9. kid — to tease
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pass — a permit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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