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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a ring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cue — a hint
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — for betting
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chip — to eat

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