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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. file — a document
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. march — music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — to hurry

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