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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. craft — boats
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pound — for dogs

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