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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — of a king
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — for betting
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — to eat with

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