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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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