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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wax — to grow
  5. file — a tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — an aim
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. file — a document
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. object — a thing
  23. tube — the underground
  24. object — to protest

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