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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mug — a face
  4. content — the amount
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — to handle
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fan — a supporter

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