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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — to point toward
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — happy
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. face — to confront
  23. net — for catching
  24. content — the amount

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