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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 116 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
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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: plane · bass · race · chip · object · ball · bore · bat

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. object — to protest
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — to tire
  22. object — a thing
  23. race — a contest
  24. bat — in an idiom

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