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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — low music

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