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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. land — to come down
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — ground
  5. chip — to eat
  6. land — a country
  7. dip — to sink
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. present — there
  13. row — a line
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — to paddle
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pit — in a race

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