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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — letters
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. staff — employees
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mine — for digging

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