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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a document
  6. bass — low music
  7. file — a tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — to eat
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — to recline
  14. march — music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — a company
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — steady
  23. march — the month
  24. racket — for tennis

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