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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — high quality
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. track — a path
  15. march — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fine — all right
  21. bass — low music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. snap — to click

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