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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — a song
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to drill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — for digging
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — to eat
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitch — completely
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. track — to keep track

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