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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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 — videos and posts
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. suit — in cards
  4. race — a contest
  5. clip — to cut
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. drill — army training
  9. pit — a hole
  10. drill — the tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. clip — a video
  19. drill — a practice
  20. clip — for paper
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — to fit
  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