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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mug — a face
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — government
  24. mug — to rob

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