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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: bat · ground · straw · wave · bay · fine · chip · bound

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ground — a position
  4. fine — all right
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — to eat
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bound — certain
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bay — a horse colour

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