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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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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: chip · cabinet · ground · bass · file · saw · roll · face

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — crushed
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. file — a line of people
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a list
  19. file — a document
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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