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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — all right
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — a company
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — low music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — the fish
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — in music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. chip — for betting

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