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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — music
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. file — a tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chip — for betting
  21. file — a document
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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