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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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468
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: cell · chip · cue · track · bass · ground · mark · pitch

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — a position
  3. track — a song
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. track — to keep track

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