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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fall — the season
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — a hole
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — army training
  23. kick — in football
  24. fall — to drop

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