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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bass — the fish
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — happy
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — the amount
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rock — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. craft — boats
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — to go on

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