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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bass — low music
  5. fine — all right
  6. content — happy
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — to trim
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fine — high quality
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — to go away

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