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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — happy
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fall — the season

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