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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · rule · saw · pitch · cold · current · bowl · calf

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cold — an illness
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rule — a law
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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