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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — child
  7. file — a document
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — the season
  10. board — a committee
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. file — a line of people
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chip — to eat
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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