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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: cap · current · bat · bowl · bay · dip · bass · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — low music
  4. current — electric
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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