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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — a container
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — a stick
  7. file — a line of people
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. key — in music
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — to eat

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