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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. game — a match
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. can — a tin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. content — happy
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — wild animals

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