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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to click
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chip — in a computer

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