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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — there
  3. roll — a list
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — to eat
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. last — finally
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. last — to go on
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. present — the time now

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