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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: wind · bass · stock · pass · chip · ruler · board · chest

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bass — low music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chip — to eat
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — goods
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — to get on
  24. bass — the fish

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