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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — to protest
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. pit — in a race

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