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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. row — a line
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. bass — low music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — a permit
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to succeed

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