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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — wild animals
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — completely
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — to eat
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — low music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a document
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. dip — a sauce

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