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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. content — happy
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mate — a partner
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. toast — bread
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — in an idiom

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