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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tube — a container
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — a subject
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chip — to eat
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. field — for sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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