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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. present — there

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