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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — the fish
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chip — to eat
  11. content — happy
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — clothes
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bass — low music
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. content — the amount
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — with an edge

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