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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. band — a ring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pop — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — a series
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

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