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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. current — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bass — the instrument

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