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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · spring · clip · fine · chip · can · pop · bass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — to eat
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pop — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. spring — a coil
  20. clip — a video
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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