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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — the amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — in sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cue — a hint
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — happy
  18. lean — to bend

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