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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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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: safe · board · chip · bass · shower · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — rain
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bass — low music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bass — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chip — to eat

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