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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.

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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — a container
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — all right
  16. suit — to fit
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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