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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — the sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — a song
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bass — low music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — a box
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chest — of your body

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