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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ground — a position
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bass — low music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — certain

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