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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. firm — a company
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bass — low music
  7. firm — steady
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — decided
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kid — child
  24. chip — in a computer

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