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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — for catching
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hand — help
  20. mark — a trace
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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