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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: face · chip · trunk · ground · club · straw · firm · ball

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. firm — a company
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. ground — the earth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — for betting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ball — a dance
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. firm — decided
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — a position
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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