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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a face
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bark — of a tree

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