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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: mark · chip · ruler · current · bass · ground · bound · cell

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — in biology
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — a position
  18. bass — low music
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — happening now
  22. bound — certain
  23. current — electric
  24. cell — a phone

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