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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: bass · stick · chip · deal · court · pop · squash · bowl

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — for sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. court — of a king

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