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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fine — high quality
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fine — all right
  17. content — happy
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — low music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  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