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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: fine · bass · roll · tear · present · chip · mine · bat

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. roll — a list
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — high quality
  6. present — a gift
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fine — all right
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bass — low music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tear — to rip

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