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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. spring — the season
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitch — a sports field

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