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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — the fish
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — to trim

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