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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. kid — child
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. object — to protest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — for betting
  23. field — farmland
  24. cue — a hint

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