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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — army training
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cue — a signal

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