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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. race — humankind
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bark — to shout
  6. current — electric
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — low music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — after costs
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. net — for catching
  22. cue — for pool
  23. current — of water
  24. net — in sport

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