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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: firm · coach · bass · pop · chip · kid · game · dip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — soda
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — for betting
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — steady
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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