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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — a break
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — a series
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — completely
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — what's left

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