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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — to eat
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. track — a path
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chip — for betting
  21. march — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. track — a song

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