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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — a path
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitch — completely
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a tree

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