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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: mug · pit · racket · chip · wave · bass · rest · content

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. content — happy
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — the amount
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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