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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wound — an injury
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. swing — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — happy
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. arm — a part of something

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