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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: clip · staff · bulb · chip · mug · roll · bass · bowl

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mug — a face
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — a cake
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bass — low music
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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