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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spring — a coil
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — of water
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kid — child
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — to move gently

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