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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hand — help
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — finally
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. last — final
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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