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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pop — to visit
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. land — ground

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