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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — low music

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