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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mate — a friend
  3. swing — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a partner
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — happy

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