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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. object — a thing
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a trace
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — an aim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. net — in sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — for sport

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