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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — happy
  6. present — there
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. present — the time now
  10. content — the amount
  11. fine — high quality
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. file — a tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a document
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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