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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 124 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. root — of a word
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. root — the cause
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fine — all right
  13. chip — for betting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — help
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — hurry

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