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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: bass · bound · chip · rock · bear · roll · squash · nail

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. squash — to crush
  4. roll — a cake
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bound — obliged
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. roll — a list
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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