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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.

Words on the sheet
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: firm · club · chair · ground · ball · cell · can · bass

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. firm — decided
  4. club — for golf
  5. bass — the fish
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — low music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ground — a position
  14. cell — in biology
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. club — a group
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — to be able to

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