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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: bound · cabinet · chip · bay · bass · stem · bat · mine

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bound — certain
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — for baseball

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