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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — to eat
  3. track — a song
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rule — a law
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rule — government
  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