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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · game · tube · chip · roll · chair · bass · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. game — a match
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. roll — a cake
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — a list
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bore — to tire
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tube — a container

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