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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 124 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — to eat
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. branch — a division
  11. firm — a company
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — for golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. dip — to sink
  19. club — a group
  20. bass — low music
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bass — the fish

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