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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rest — a break
  6. shower — rain
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — low music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mug — a face
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — in cards
  16. content — the amount
  17. bass — the fish
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hand — help
  22. content — happy
  23. shower — to wash
  24. staff — employees

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