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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — for betting
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — a company
  5. march — the month
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitch — completely
  9. capital — a city
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. capital — money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. march — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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