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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chip — for betting
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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