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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spell — letters
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — happy
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — all right
  18. chip — for betting
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — magic
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mug — a cup

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