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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 124 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: plane · perch · wave · chip · mine · bass · mug · race

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mine — for digging
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mug — a face
  12. race — a contest
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — a tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — humankind
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bass — low music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mug — a cup

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