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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — the time now
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — the amount
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a great time
  16. present — there
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bass — low music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. present — a gift
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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