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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. scale — in music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — low music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bank — for money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — part of the body

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