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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kid — child
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. tube — a container
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bass — low music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. content — happy
  24. temple — a place of worship

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