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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · ball · chip · arm · bass · spell · clip · perch

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — a video
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — all right

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