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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — letters
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — happy
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — of the year
  20. spell — a short time
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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