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

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — help
  11. chip — for betting
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — the bottom

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