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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cue — for pool
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — happening now
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — a measure
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — happy
  16. stock — shares
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — electric
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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