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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pitch — completely
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cap — of ice

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