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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. content — happy
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. swing — to play on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — shares
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — music
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. swing — in golf
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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