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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. content — happy
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — a tin
  10. content — the amount
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — a trail

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