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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — a law
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pop — soda
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — low music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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