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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — a phone
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. leaves — 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