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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · bay · chip · lie · stock · cell · drill · cue

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — army training
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stock — shares
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cell — in a prison

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