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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bass — low music
  6. land — to come down
  7. suit — to fit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — of ice
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — a country
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — ground
  21. deal — to handle
  22. content — the amount
  23. cap — a hat
  24. suit — in cards

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