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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — help
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. club — for golf
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — a leader
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — an untruth

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