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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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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 · stock · chip · dip · cap · staff · bear · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — happy
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — the amount
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to dunk

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