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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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468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chip — for betting
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. row — a line
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wind — to turn a key

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