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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. kid — child
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — a price
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — letters
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kid — to tease

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