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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: mouse · bass · season · chip · row · cabinet · game · rock

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — of the year
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a line
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. season — to add flavour

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