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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: lie · can · pit · chip · game · pitch · row · wind

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a line
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — a match
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. row — to paddle

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