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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rock — music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. foot — a measure
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — the amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chest — a box
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cell — in biology
  22. content — happy
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chest — of your body

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