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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — a jug

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