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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bound — tied together
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — low music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wax — for sculpting

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