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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — happy
  5. can — to be able to
  6. content — the amount
  7. firm — a company
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bass — low music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — moving air
  18. game — wild animals
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — to turn a key

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