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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 116 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: rush · cue · ground · chip · bass · trunk · fall · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — low music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — a position
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — the month

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