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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. suit — to fit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — to paddle
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitch — completely

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