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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pop — to visit
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — for digging
  6. object — an aim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bear — the animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — in a computer

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