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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. pop — soda
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. content — the amount
  24. march — the month

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