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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. last — finally
  11. chip — to eat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — certain
  15. present — there
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the fish
  20. last — to go on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bass — low music
  24. bound — obliged

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