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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — there
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the instrument

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