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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bore — to tire
  8. object — to protest
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. toast — bread
  12. object — a thing
  13. club — a group
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. club — for golf
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — the amount
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. object — an aim

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