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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bound — certain
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bass — low music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — to play on
  14. field — for sport
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. field — a subject
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bound — tied together
  21. swing — in golf
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. sharp — clever

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