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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — to go on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — final
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chip — for betting
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. last — finally
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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