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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. last — final
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — the amount
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — finally
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — a break
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rock — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — a stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pound — a weight

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