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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chip — for betting
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — the season
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spring — of water
  22. object — an aim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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