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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. firm — decided
  5. cell — in biology
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — low music
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — a company
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bear — the animal

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