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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.

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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: chip · squash · mine · ground · rush · season · foot · bass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — in sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rush — hurry
  14. season — of the year
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bass — low music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rush — to hurry

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