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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cell — a phone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spell — magic
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spell — letters
  24. bass — low music

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