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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. last — final
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — to go on
  13. staff — a stick
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — finally
  22. band — a ring
  23. chip — for betting
  24. prune — to trim

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