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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.

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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 · snap · fine · chip · cell · sharp · kick · bass

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — low music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cell — a phone
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to click

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