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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — a trail
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — the amount
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — shares
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stock — goods
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. toast — bread
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. content — happy
  23. can — to be able to
  24. row — to paddle

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