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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · pitcher · mug · chip · calf · cue · bass · chest

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a face
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. content — happy
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. chip — in a computer

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