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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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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 · chip · coach · pound · fall · racket · bay · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — low music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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