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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. content — happy
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bat — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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