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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the instrument

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