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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: chip · wind · bound · spell · pit · mark · bass · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — letters
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — magic
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — certain
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mark — a trace
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — low music

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