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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: chip · date · staff · racket · chair · bowl · patient · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. staff — employees
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — low music
  24. bowl — a dish

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