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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: kid · roll · suit · rock · bass · chip · capital · dip

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. roll — a list
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kid — to tease
  7. capital — a city
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — low music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. capital — money
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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