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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — low music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. current — of water
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — decided
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chip — to eat
  17. content — happy
  18. kid — child
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. firm — steady
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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