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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: pitch · season · dip · bore · swing · straw · race · chip

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. race — a contest
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — of the year
  14. swing — to play on
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. swing — music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. season — in sport

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