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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — happy
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. chip — to eat

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