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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. saw — the tool
  4. roll — a list
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — a contest
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. race — humankind
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mug — a face
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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