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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — completely
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wind — moving air
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitch — a sports field

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