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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. season — of the year
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a path
  12. race — a contest
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — to keep track
  24. season — to add flavour

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