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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — happy
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — for pool

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