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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — a match
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. game — wild animals
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chip — for betting
  14. object — an aim
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the fish
  23. object — a thing
  24. row — a line

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