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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pit — in a race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chip — for betting
  13. roll — a list
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. row — to paddle
  19. roll — a cake
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bass — the fish

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