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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — the underground
  6. club — a group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — low music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — high quality
  16. swing — to play on
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — for golf
  20. fine — all right
  21. swing — music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. club — for dancing

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