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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. capital — money
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitch — completely
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — for betting
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pound — a weight
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — the underground
  19. foot — a measure
  20. capital — a city
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — a container
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — a sports field

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