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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — a permit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. game — a match
  15. pitch — completely
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — a professorship

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