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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — all right
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. content — happy
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. content — the amount
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wake — a trail
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — in golf

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