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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. staff — a stick
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a document
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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