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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — to crush
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — of a tree

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