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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: scale · jam · chip · pitch · kick · mate · race · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chip — to eat
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — a partner
  21. race — humankind
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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