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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. race — humankind
  9. content — the amount
  10. face — to point toward
  11. present — the time now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. present — there
  14. race — a contest
  15. bass — low music
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. content — happy
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — a gift
  24. race — the arms race

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