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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kid — child
  3. toast — bread
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chip — for betting
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — in music
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wake — before a funeral

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