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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fall — to drop
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tube — a container

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