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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — to put up with

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