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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: file · content · mark · mouse · chip · bass · staff · roll

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — low music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. staff — a stick
  22. file — a document
  23. mouse — the animal
  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