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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — in cards
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. row — a line
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hand — help
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chip — to eat

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