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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. present — there
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — the time now
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rule — a law
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. present — a gift
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitch — completely
  24. snap — to click

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