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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pop — to visit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — of water
  11. pop — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — a break
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — a tin
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — the season
  23. content — happy
  24. suit — in cards

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