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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. content — the amount
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — a practice
  19. plane — a tool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ball — a great time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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