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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — to eat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — from a university
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bat — in an idiom

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