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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. land — a country
  3. perch — the fish
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. content — happy
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. land — ground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — to come down
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. bass — low music

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