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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fine — all right
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — high quality
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. content — happy
  23. season — of the year
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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