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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — rain
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — low music
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a grade
  16. race — the arms race
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. land — to come down
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the fish
  24. land — ground

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