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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 120 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: foot · lash · pitch · mark · cell · land · chip · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — ground
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mark — a trace
  10. land — to come down
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. land — a country
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bass — low music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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