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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pop — soda
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — in a computer
  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