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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — a hint
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. firm — a company
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — completely

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