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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. content — the amount
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — of the year
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — in sport
  15. mine — for digging
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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