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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hand — help
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chair — a leader
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. row — a line
  22. press — to push
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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