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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — for money
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chest — a box
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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