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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.

Make a worksheet

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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. content — the amount
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rule — government
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — low music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — a law
  17. content — happy
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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