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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. net — after costs
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pop — soda
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — to sink
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — for catching

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