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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — a subject
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — steady
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — magic
  10. field — farmland
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — to crush
  18. field — for sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — to eat
  21. firm — decided
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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