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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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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: spring · bass · season · chip · pitch · suit · plane · nail

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — a coil
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. season — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — the season
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — a sports field

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