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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kid — to tease
  3. suit — in cards
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — of the year
  12. kid — child
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear

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