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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: branch · ground · chip · bass · club · straw · cue · ball

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. club — a group
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. club — for golf
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — a division
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ground — a position

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