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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — the fish
  3. content — happy
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rest — a break
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. content — the amount
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — for catching
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — low music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rest — what's left

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