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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cue — a hint
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. suit — in cards
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. content — happy
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — a signal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — the season
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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