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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — a container
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitch — completely
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kid — child
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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