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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — money
  8. track — a path
  9. content — happy
  10. bass — low music
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — soda
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. pop — to visit
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. leaves — lets stay

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