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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. firm — steady
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — a line
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — a signal
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — for pool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. firm — decided
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — a company
  23. swing — in golf
  24. row — to paddle

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