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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — happy
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of law
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. safe — out of danger

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