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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — to sink
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — a subject

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