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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — completely
  24. racket — a loud noise

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