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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: cap · drill · chip · bass · bay · perch · chair · current

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chair — a leader
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — army training
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — low music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bay — a horse colour

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