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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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — happy
  3. cue — a hint
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — the month
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — a price

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