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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. board — a committee

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