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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mine — for digging
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — to eat
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stock — shares

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