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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bass — low music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chest — a box
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — the fish
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. bass — the instrument

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