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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — for golf
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — a group
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. club — for dancing
  20. race — humankind
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — a committee
  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