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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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Word bank
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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: game · bowl · chip · rock · pitch · foot · bore · pass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. chip — for betting
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — to move gently

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