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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — low music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the fish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — the amount
  24. saw — the tool

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