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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — high quality
  10. roll — a cake
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — low music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rule — a law
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — government

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