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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. game — a match
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mate — a friend
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. perch — the fish

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