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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — help
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. arm — a part of something

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