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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — goods
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — certain
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — shares
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bass — low music
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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