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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. firm — decided
  4. chip — for betting
  5. shower — rain
  6. ground — a position
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ground — crushed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — a stone

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