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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. land — ground
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — electric
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — a country
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chest — a box
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. land — to come down
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bass — low music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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