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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — to recline
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. object — to protest
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. object — an aim

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