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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. content — happy
  8. track — to keep track
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pit — a hole
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. board — a committee
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wound — an injury

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