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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. shower — rain
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — in music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. row — a line
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — in golf
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — to play on

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