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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · root · wave · current · chip · mug · stand · bass

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. clip — a video
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — to bear
  10. root — of a word
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — low music
  24. mug — a cup

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