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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bass — low music
  9. content — the amount
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — part of the head
  15. charge — a price
  16. content — happy
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. face — to confront
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — electricity

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