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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — in football
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — the fish
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spell — magic
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. perch — for a bird

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