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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bass — low music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. content — happy
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bass — the fish
  20. content — the amount
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pop — music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — a grade

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