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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 120 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: cue · snap · bass · deal · object · chip · last · mine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. object — a thing
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. last — to go on
  22. object — an aim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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