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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — happy
  4. pop — music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. band — a ring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stock — goods
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a line
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — shares
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. plane — in geometry

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