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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a music group
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. band — a ring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — a company
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — steady
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. swing — music
  23. content — happy
  24. bark — to shout

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