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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a line of people
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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