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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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 — the instrument
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — to eat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. date — the fruit
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bass — low music
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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