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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. board — to get on
  12. net — after costs
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — for catching
  24. board — a flat piece

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