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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 120 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: saw · chip · bass · stand · deal · plane · can · bat

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bass — the fish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — to eat

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