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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bass — low music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — happy
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — the amount
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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