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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · bore · content · bass · pop · plane · patient · coach

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. content — the amount
  9. pop — to visit
  10. content — happy
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — low music
  13. pop — soda
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — to drill
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bore — gave birth

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