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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bound — certain
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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