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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — the amount
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — a tool
  20. content — happy
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — to add flavour

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