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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — for betting
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. shower — rain
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — final
  15. shower — to wash
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kick — in football
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — finally
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  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