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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. object — to protest
  4. chip — for betting
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — a thing

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