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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: chip · chair · bass · sharp · field · firm · scale · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — for sport
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. chair — a leader
  7. sharp — clever
  8. firm — decided
  9. chip — for betting
  10. scale — in music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — low music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. firm — steady

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