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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pop — soda
  4. tube — a container
  5. content — the amount
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. content — happy
  8. march — the month
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lean — thin

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