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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. roll — a list
  8. spell — letters
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. present — there
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. content — the amount
  21. pound — a weight
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — happy
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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