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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — low music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mug — a face
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chip — for betting

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