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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. can — to be able to
  5. game — a match
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bore — to tire
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. content — videos and posts

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