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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — a price
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — in a computer

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