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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rest — a break
  18. pass — a permit
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. field — for sport

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