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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — low music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bass — the fish
  20. net — for catching
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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