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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: rock · arm · roll · bass · chip · kick · ground · wind

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. roll — a list
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ground — a position
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. roll — on a roll
  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