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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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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: mark · chip · net · ruler · mate · wave · bear · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mate — to breed
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — for catching
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ruler — for measuring

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