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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — music
  7. content — the amount
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. field — a subject
  10. mark — a grade
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. field — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — happy
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — the fish
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a trace

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