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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. last — to go on
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — an aim
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — low music
  13. last — final
  14. mark — a trace
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a grade
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  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