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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. content — happy
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. content — the amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — of ice
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — a hat
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — a partner

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