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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 is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — for betting
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — humankind
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. race — a contest

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