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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: chip · can · season · tube · roll · ball · chair · net

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. roll — a list
  22. ball — a great time
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — to sit on

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