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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — the fish
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — in music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bark — of a tree

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