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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — there
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. suit — clothes
  12. present — the time now
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rest — a break
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chip — for betting

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