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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — happy
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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