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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. band — a music group
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. band — a ring
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. content — the amount
  15. row — a line
  16. swing — in golf
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. content — happy

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