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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bat — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — humankind
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. file — a line of people
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. file — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. file — a document

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