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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — the tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. saw — the tool

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