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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 116 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rule — a law
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wind — moving air
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rule — government
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chip — in a computer

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