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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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 sports field
  2. date — the fruit
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitch — completely
  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