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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — low music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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