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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. rash — hasty
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — rain
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hand — help
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — a series
  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