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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mine — for digging
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

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