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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. plane — a tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rest — a break
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — after costs
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bass — low music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — for pool
  23. net — for catching
  24. plane — in geometry

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