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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — the fish
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to bend
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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