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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 120 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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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: pass · swing · mark · cell · bass · chip · perch · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cell — a phone
  23. swing — music
  24. cell — in biology

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