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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bass — low music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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