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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — a stone
  10. race — a contest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — help
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. degree — temperature
  21. race — humankind
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. degree — from a university

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