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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: chip · current · bark · kid · cap · bass · foot · face

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — for betting
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. kid — child
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — a measure
  14. face — to confront
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — happening now
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — to point toward
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chip — to eat

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