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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. face — to confront
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — low music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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