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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. season — of the year
  9. pop — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. court — for sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pop — soda
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of law
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — of a king
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — for betting

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