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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — boats
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. object — a thing
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — a hole
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. object — to protest
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  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