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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 broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — for betting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bass — low music
  9. spring — of water
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spring — the season
  24. ball — a dance

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