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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chip — to eat
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — to rob
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pitch — completely

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