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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 120 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: rest · dip · court · prune · bass · ground · track · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. court — of a king
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — a break
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — for sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — to dunk

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