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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · rush · leaves · key · chip · content · bass · perch

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — in sport
  12. content — happy
  13. key — the most important part
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. season — to add flavour

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