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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. content — the amount
  9. game — a match
  10. content — happy
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bass — low music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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