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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — a match
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — of law
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. game — a kind of play

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