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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 120 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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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: present · row · deal · bowl · band · bass · chip · mate

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. band — a music group
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. present — there
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mate — a partner

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