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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chest — a box
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rock — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rock — a stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — of your body

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