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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. content — happy
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — in sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. staff — a stick
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — of the year
  20. capital — a city
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — money
  23. content — the amount
  24. dip — to dunk

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