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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. object — an aim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. stock — goods
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chip — to eat

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