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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — for digging
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. track — to keep track
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — videos and posts

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