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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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Word bank
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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: chest · ball · drill · bass · wake · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bass — low music
  16. chest — a box
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — in a computer

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