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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. charge — in control
  8. bass — low music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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