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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: bay · chip · firm · ruler · content · bass · kid · suit

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — decided
  11. suit — in cards
  12. firm — a company
  13. content — happy
  14. kid — child
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. firm — steady
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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