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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — to go on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — a subject
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. last — finally
  13. content — happy
  14. fine — all right
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bass — low music
  17. content — the amount
  18. field — for sport
  19. last — final
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. field — farmland
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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