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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. shower — rain
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fine — all right
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. shower — to wash
  24. firm — decided

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