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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · tube · ground · bear · cell · mine · chip

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mug — a face
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — a position
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mine — an explosive

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