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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cold — an illness
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. staff — employees
  19. mug — to rob
  20. staff — employees
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — a path
  23. bound — certain
  24. mug — a face

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