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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — soda
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pop — music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — the season
  21. net — after costs
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — to turn a key

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