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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — low music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cell — in biology
  16. game — a match
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cell — in a prison

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