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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 120 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: ruler · rash · pitcher · track · bass · chip · net · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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. net — in sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. track — a song
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bass — low music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — hasty

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