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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — a leader
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitch — completely

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