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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: cell · mug · wave · dip · rock · chip · bass · racket

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mug — a cup
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bass — low music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cell — a phone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rock — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a face

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