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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rock — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a music group

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