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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bass — low music
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chip — to eat

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