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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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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: leaves · wave · cue · content · spell · bat · net · bass

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — in sport
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. net — for catching
  21. bass — low music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a hint

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