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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rash — a series
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — a trail

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