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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 124 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. land — a country
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — in football

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