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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. content — happy
  7. bass — the fish
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fine — all right
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bass — low music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — the amount
  19. cell — a phone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — 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