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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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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 · rock · pit · bat · stem · chip · cell · wave

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bass — low music

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