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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. band — a ring
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — happy
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rock — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — goods
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — the amount
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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