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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · pit · pass · game · snap · trunk · object · chip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — a match
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — wild animals
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pit — in a race
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — an aim
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — for betting

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