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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. court — of law
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mug — a face
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — high quality
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fine — all right
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wake — a trail
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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