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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bass — low music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — to eat
  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