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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — shares
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. firm — decided
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. content — happy
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cell — a phone

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