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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: bound · chip · cap · mate · tube · wave · stand · bass

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — a container
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bound — tied together

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