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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kick — in football
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — to eat
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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