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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mark — a trace
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. face — to point toward
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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