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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — for catching
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. net — after costs
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — there
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — a gift
  18. toast — bread
  19. net — in sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bass — low music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hand — help
  24. toast — the most admired

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