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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cap — a lid

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