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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wound — an injury
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wake — before a funeral

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