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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. bass — low music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bass — the fish
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chip — for betting
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. toast — bread
  20. present — a gift
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — a hat
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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