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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. charge — a price
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to click
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — thin
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chip — in a computer

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