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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: drill · field · pop · plane · chip · racket · bound · bass

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. drill — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. field — farmland
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — obliged
  13. field — for sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. drill — army training

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