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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: bass · bore · spell · row · chip · press · foot · track

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — magic
  4. bass — low music
  5. row — a line
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chip — for betting
  9. row — to paddle
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — letters
  15. bore — to tire
  16. press — to push
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. track — a song
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spell — a short time
  24. track — a path

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