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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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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: content · pop · rest · trunk · wave · deal · march · firm

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. march — music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — steady
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — a break
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — to handle

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