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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — music
  9. content — happy
  10. pop — to visit
  11. season — of the year
  12. craft — a skill
  13. season — in sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. content — the amount
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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