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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. content — happy
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. present — there
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — the amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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