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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: last · pitch · chip · deal · bowl · race · dip · lie

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. race — humankind
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. last — finally
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. last — final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. dip — to sink
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. dip — to dunk

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