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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bass — low music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mug — to rob
  16. file — a tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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