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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — to eat
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — with a leg

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