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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. bass — low music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — the amount
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — for sport
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. field — farmland
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hand — help
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  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