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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — thin
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — the fish
  14. content — happy
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bowl — a football final

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