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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: land · wake · fork · bass · pass · chip · hide · pit

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — ground
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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