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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — the amount
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bass — the fish
  6. track — a path
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bass — low music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. content — happy
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. track — a song
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cell — a phone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stem — to come from

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