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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. last — finally
  9. present — the time now
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. last — to go on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — a series
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — a gift
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. last — final
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. present — there

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