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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — of water
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — in music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — a publisher
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chip — to eat
  21. track — a song
  22. key — for a lock
  23. current — electric
  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