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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: bat · chip · wake · staff · present · season · bass · land

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. present — a gift
  5. bass — the fish
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chip — for betting
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. bass — low music
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. land — to come down
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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