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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: bass · bowl · pit · mate · rock · content · degree · chip

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chip — for betting
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mate — a partner
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — low music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chip — to eat

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