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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chip — for betting

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