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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: lean · bass · snap · stand · rock · club · ground · chip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — a group
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ground — a position
  11. rock — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — thin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — to bend
  21. snap — to click
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. club — for golf

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