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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — a break
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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