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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.

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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mate — a friend
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mark — a trace
  18. dip — to dunk

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