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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 124 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — the sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the fish
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. present — the time now
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — low music

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