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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stock — shares
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — happy
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. march — the month
  23. content — the amount
  24. bass — the fish

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