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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. object — an aim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — to play on
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — to protest
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — in music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — a country
  24. object — a thing

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