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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 116 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: mouse · net · pass · field · bass · chip · bark · clip

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. clip — a video
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. net — after costs
  6. field — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — for catching
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pass — to succeed

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