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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: pit · chip · bass · straw · track · ball · deal · arm

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ball — a great time
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chip — to eat
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bass — low music
  17. track — a song
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pit — a hole

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