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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — low music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rule — a law
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rule — government
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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