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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: bass · roll · chip · mug · bay · pitcher · row · net

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — a cake
  4. net — in sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a cup
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — to eat
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. net — for catching

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