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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — in sport
  8. rule — government
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hand — help
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pass — to spend time

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