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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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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 · cue · sharp · net · mate · scale · bass · chip

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. content — the amount
  4. cue — for pool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. sharp — clever
  12. content — happy
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — in music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. scale — size or range
  24. net — after costs

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