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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.

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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: chip · mark · face · bass · stick · wound · hand · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to confront
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — low music
  24. hand — help

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