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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.

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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — help

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