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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: bass · club · roll · fan · content · saw · chip · kid

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kid — child
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. content — happy
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. club — for golf
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a list
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — the fish

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