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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.

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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. charge — in control
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. charge — a price
  8. ground — a position
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — electricity
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wind — moving air

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