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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. content — the amount
  4. cap — a lid
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — low music
  11. track — a path
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. track — to keep track
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — a hat
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — after costs
  18. track — a song
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bass — the fish
  21. present — there
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. net — in sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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