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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chest — of your body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. capital — money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. chip — to eat
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — a box
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — of your body
  17. capital — a city
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitch — completely
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rest — a break
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — to get on

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