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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: bound · ground · bass · prune · present · chip · drill · wave

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — there

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