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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: chip · bark · object · pit · bass · rock · stick · mine

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. object — a thing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. object — an aim
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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