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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — completely
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. object — a thing
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — to confront
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. object — to protest
  20. pound — a weight
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cue — a signal

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