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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — for betting
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. board — a committee
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. content — happy
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. face — to point toward

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