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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — for betting
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spell — magic
  11. firm — steady
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. firm — decided
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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