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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — all right
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — to eat
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — low music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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