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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: chip · tube · fine · bat · net · perch · bass · key

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — in music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bass — low music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — a container
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — the most important part

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