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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — wild animals
  11. track — a path
  12. wound — an injury
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bass — the instrument

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