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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. drill — the tool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — the amount
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. drill — army training
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. drill — a practice
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. content — happy
  21. court — for sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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