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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: bass · face · ball · lie · chair · chip · pound · bat

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. face — part of the head
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — low music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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