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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · foot · stand · saw · mug · march · present · bass

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bass — low music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — a gift
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — there
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chip — for betting
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. present — the time now
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stand — on your feet

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