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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cell — in biology
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chip — to eat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cell — a phone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — the fish
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. prune — the fruit

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