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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: dip · stick · bound · row · bass · shower · object · chip

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bound — certain
  15. shower — rain
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — to wash
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — to sink
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — a thing
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — the instrument

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