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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pop — music
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. band — a ring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a music group
  13. rest — what's left
  14. content — happy
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — the month
  21. pop — soda
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. march — music
  24. stand — on your feet

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