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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. content — the amount
  7. bore — to drill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. field — farmland
  10. content — happy
  11. scale — size or range
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — a subject
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — a container
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — for sport
  24. suit — in cards

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