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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: staff · cap · stand · chest · bass · chip · ball · deal

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. chip — to eat
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chest — a box
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — low music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — the fish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — for betting

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