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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: fork · lie · pitch · dip · chip · cap · stand · bay

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chip — for betting

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