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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pop — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pop — to visit
  10. game — a match
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bowl — a football final

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