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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wind — moving air
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rule — government
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — a law
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. swing — music
  24. pit — in a race

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