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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mine — for digging
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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