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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. row — a line
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. present — a gift
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bear — to put up with

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