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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. drill — army training
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. tube — a container
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rest — what's left
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. dip — a sauce

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