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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. game — a match
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — a break
  9. rush — hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chip — for betting

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