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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
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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: lash · content · bore · chip · bass · field · craft · staff

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. field — a subject
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — a skill
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — the amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — to tire
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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